Method and system for improved handover of mobile stations to unlicensed mobile access networks

A method of determining an absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) and a base station identity code (BSIC) for use by an unlicensed mobile access network controller (UNC) to handover a mobile station (MS) in an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN), the method comprising the steps of:

• creating an ARFCN and BSIC lookup table that correlates one or more location identifiers for the MS to a plurality of ARFCN and BSIC allocated to the UNC;
• determining a current location identifier for the MS;
• and
• determining the ARFCN and BSIC by utilizing the current location identifier for the MS as an input parameter in the ARFCN and BSIC lookup table.

A method of handing over a mobile station (MS) to an unlicensed mobile access network controller (UNC) in an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN), the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving by the UNC from the MS, a UMA radio resource (URR) Registration Request message, said URR Registration Request message containing one or more location identifiers for the MS;
• selecting by the UNC, absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) values and base station identity code (BSIC) values from a plurality of ARFCN and BSIC values allocated to the UNC for the MS based on the one or more location identifiers for the MS;
• and
• sending a URR Registration Accept message to the MS, said URR Registration Accept message containing the selected ARFCN and BSIC values.

A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium to handover a mobile station (MS) to an unlicensed mobile access network controller (UNC) in an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN), the computer program comprising:

• a code segment for receiving from the MS, a UMA radio resource (URR) Registration Request message, said URR Registration Request message containing one or more location identifiers for the MS;
• a code segment for selecting for the MS, absolute radio frequency channel numbers (ARFCN) and base station identity code (BSIC) values from a plurality of ARFCN and BSIC values allocated to the UNC based on the one or more location identifiers for the MS;
• and
• a code segment for sending a URR Registration Accept message to the MS, said URR Registration Accept message containing the selected ARFCN and BSIC values.

A system in an unlicensed mobile access network (UMAN) comprising:

• a mobile station (MS) having one or more location identifiers;
• an unlicensed mobile access network controller (UNC) in communication with the MS;
• and
• a lookup table accessible by the UNC, the lookup table associating MS location identifiers with a plurality of absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN) values and base station identity code (BSIC) values allocated to the UNC, wherein the UNC is adapted to select from the lookup table, ARFCN and BSIC values allocated to the UNC for the MS based on the one or more location identifiers of the MS.